good morning. carnival under fire. the first lawsuit has been filed against the cruise ship company as new images detail the misery among the "triumph. c can -- "triumph." pun passenger describing it as a floating petri dish. final moments. details on how police officers took don't former police officer-turned-killer christopher dorner. and more on the nieationwide manhunt. this little piggy has wheels. his name is chris p. bacon, and he's an internet sensation. he's here to show why he's racked up nearly 7,000 online

fans. racked up nearly 7,000 online fans. today, february 16, 2013. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill. boy, the little pig that could. i think it's adorable. >> yeah. we've got the little guy with wheels because he, obviously, can't -- his back legs don't work. >> yeah. >> i don't think anybody will want bacon after seeing this cute guy. >> i certainly don't. >> we'll have that coming up. we'll meet him. this morning, we're learning more about what happened aboard the carnival cruise ship. very little of it is good. passengers are waking up glad to be back on solid ground. the conditions on that ship horrible. coming up, a look at what rights you have as a passenger when you're on a cruise. also, the big cleanup has begun now in russia after a space rock exploded there on

friday. it happened the same day a different asteroid hit earth. could the two be related? we'll talk to an expert about what's happening in the skies. then, a stunning fall from grace for the former mayor of san diego. maureen o'connor was the city's first female mayor. this morning the headlines are about her gambling habit to which she won and lost $1 billion over a decade. her excuse for doing it may surprise you. we do want to begin this morning with that carnival cruise ship. a passenger has filed a first lawsuit against the cruise line company. mark potter is in mobile, alabama, with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. that lawsuit was filed in miami by a passenger from texas seeking damages. she accuses carnival cruise lines of negligence and fraud and says that she was "injured as a result of the unseaworthy, unsafe, unsanitary, and generally despicable conditions in "aboard" the "triumph."

a spokesperson says the company has not seen the lawsuit and cannot comment. meantime, the "triumph" has been moved to a shipyard in mobile, where extensive repairs and cleanup begin as the official incident investigation also begins. because the ship is registered in the bahamas and the event occurred in international waters, the bahamian authority is the lead investigator. both the u.s. coast guard and the national transportation safety board, the ntsb, are heavily involved, interviewing passengers and crew, trying to determine why the fire broke out and how it was handled and ultimately trying to prevent something like this from ever happening again. lester? >> thanks. the ordeal on the carnival "triumph" was difficult for everyone on board. for some, it did become a dire emergency. our chief medical correspondent, dr. nancy snyderman, has a story of one family's dream cruise that turned into a hair-raising evacuation on the high seas. [ cheers ]

>> they're safe! >> thank you. >> reporter: their trip was supposed to be a birthday party and family reunion at sea. planned for more than a year and including 31 relatives. >> for me it was the most scariest part. i thought they're here for my birthday. >> reporter: this trip of a lifetime was ruined when at 5:30 last sunday the ship's p.a. system sounded alarms. their thoughts instantly turned to one member -- rachel alderett, 54 years old and suffering kidney disease. she needed regular dialysis to stay alive and was due for a treatment on tuesday. the crew engineered a harrowing transfer off the ship. there was another woman also evacuated, as seen in these images captured by another passenger aboard the ship. a coast guard boat pulled up alongside the massive and powerless ship, and the passenger passed between the vessels, bobbing up and down in choppy waters. and this is how rachel was taken off, too. >> i didn't know that they were

just going to open the door and tie a rope with ladders, like a ladder, and -- for me to climb into this small boat. when i started walking over there, i look ted water, and i'm like, oh, no. the boat was going like this -- i'm like, oh, no, you're going to drop me. you're going to drop me. i don't know how to swim and this and that. you're going to drop me. >> reporter: rachel was taken to mexico to receive her treatment and then flown back home to austin, texas. for "today," dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news. >> so what rights do you have as a cruise ship passenger? carolyn spencer-brown is editor-in-chief of cruisecritic.com. >> thank you for having me. >> i'm sure the ticket has fine print. >> so much fine print. >> that people don't read. what does it say? >> it says essentially unless it's a serious physical illness or death, you don't really have any rights. >> nothing? >> nothing. >> is that because a lot of ships have foreign registrys? >> that's part of it.

i mean, the way the cruise ships operate is different from how hotels operate. they have flags, their flags are in bahamas, malta, because they get advantageous tax situations. it's all about finance. >> and to avoid the situation which we saw here, i thought it was interestingeading over the notes. you say if you get on a newer ship you might not have gone through this. explain that to me. >> here's what's good news coming out of a bad situation. in 2009, there was a new law passed by the international maritime organization which actually sets the standards of how cruise ships operate no matter where their flag is. it's called safe return to port. it requires ships built after -- in 2010 and beyond to have dual engine rooms. so if for some reason an engine room is iscapacitated as it was on carnival "triumph," you've got a backup. >> you can get back on your own power. let's talk about compensation.

folks are saying they'll get a full refund, free cruise credit, and $500. in your view, is that enough given what these folks have been through? >> you know, it's a new precedent for the cruise industry. they don't normally hand out cash bonuses for surviving an experience. i have to say, it was dismissive, i thought. your experience is only worth $500. i thought they could have gone in a little higher. >> i've enjoyed some of the watercooler conversation about this. there are people who are diehard cruise fans who don't seem at all shaken by this and will continue to take cruises. others say, well, that's the reason i've never taken one. what's your take on whether the industry is going to take a hit here? >> well, the industry will take a hit. it will take a hit no matter what anybody says. there are going to be people who haven't cruised before, who looked at this and said, my god, no way. but it won't take a hit for long. if the industry survives after the "costa concordia" which was tragic with 32 people dead, and it's rebounding now, it won't take too long a hit for this. i think what's important is to

understand that this is not the norm. that cruises generally are very safe. in fact, these people were safe the whole time they were on board. wasn't comfortable or pretty, but they were safe. and it is a very magical vacation. >> i've heard some voices out there who argue that the industry has gotten too large, it's grown too fast. is that something you've weighed in on before? >> i don't think that's the issue at all. i think the issue is this ship had problems before it went out on the sea, that carnival did not solve immediately as it probably should have. we don't know that those problems, the propulsion problems are related to the engine room. we have no way of knowing that at this point. >> right. >> i think it's more that cruise lines have to be focused on -- i think it's more -- there's more cutbacks than too many ships and don't know how to handle it. >> as mark pointed out, there's going to be a full ntsb investigation to get answers. >> that will take time. >> we appreciate your answers. thanks for being here. we asked you to weigh in on our web site, today.com, asking if you had been a passenger on the carnival "triumph, "would you

ever cruise again. 30% answered yes, 70% said no. keep in mind, that's a nonscientific survey. time for a check of the other top stories. tom llamas is here as jenna enjoys the morning off. >> good morning, everyone. we start with new details on the last moments of that massive manhunt for former los angeles police officer christopher dorner. during a news conference on friday, official with the san bernardino sheriff's office talked about the takedown including showing some of the weapons they found inside the cabin dorner was holed up in. they also said he was killed by a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. investigators say they tried to force donorer to surrender before nay accide-- dorner to s before they accidently set the cabin on fire. dorner spent most of his time on the run, steps from the command center set up to find him. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife could be headed to prison. they've both been officially charged in connection with the misuse of campaign funds. on friday, federal prosecutors

formally filed charges as jackson is said to be accepting a plea deal. they claim jackson misused $750,000 in campaign funds to buy personal items like michael jackson and martin luther king memorabilia. jackson is reportedly going to accept a plea deal. his wife, sandy, faces one count of tax fraud. facebook says it's been hacked. the social media giant says its systems were targeted in a sophisticated attack after employees visited an infected site which installed a malware and bug on their computers. facebook says none of its millions of users' information was compromised. in sports news, serena williams is making history, becoming the oldest woman ever to claim the highest spot in women's tennis. she clinched that top-ranked title on friday with a quarterfinal win at the qatar open. claiming the oldest woman ever title. she's only 31. can you think of a better way to say happy president's day than with cheese? at ripley's in new york city, a

master cheese carver is taking 160 pounds of cheddar cheese and turning it all into a six-foot-long replica of mt. rushmore. that's the news. back to lester, erica, and dylan. the interesting thing about that story, they have it as cheese for six months, they melt it down, they make nachos and invite schoolkids to lunch. i'm joking. >> i'm like -- when, tom, when should we be there? >> erica's looking -- >> my 3-year-old said he learn good abraham lincoln and george washington. he said he learned abraham lincoln didn't have cars or lights. he did not have cheese like that either. >> yeah. >> no nachos. >> dylan dreyer has a first check of the forecast. welcome back. feeling okay? >> yeah. no lump on my head. >> as we reported last week, you were in a little bit of a weather-related car crash. >> yes. you know, four days, watching tv, not that bad. i've recovered. and i am good to go now. ironically, we're talking about more snow.

this time mostly in new england, although we will see a few flakes in new york city. and of all places, the carolinas. actually just rain right now. but it will start to cool off as cold air surges in. and we have winter weather advisories from virginia right down into eastern north carolina. and we also have winter weather advisories across the eastern half of massachusetts and rhode island. blizzard watches in effect up through maine. there is a chance we could end up with several inches of snow. in the areas in the carolinas and virginia, about one to three inches. enough to make the roads slippery. we could see up to a foot in eastport, maine, and most of massachusetts will pick up about three to six inches over the course of the day. it will just lightly snow throughout the day. and then eventually wind down as we go into sunday afternoon. so another little minor event as this whole storm system kind of scoots to the southeast of nantucket.ke >> a wintery mix this morning fog and ice in the area. coastal storm developing this afternoon. the snow chance will continue for snow showers today.

39 for the high on sunday. closer to freezing windy and cold >> that is your latest forecast. erica? >> thanks. turning now to close encounters in the sky. new images of a fire ball streaking across the skies of northern california. the video was taken by a dashboard camera in san francisco. there it is. you see it? nasa says it was likely a meteor. not a space rock that streaked across skies over russia where 1,000 are recovering from injuries. the damage estimate for that, $33 million. and that happened on the same day that an asteroid half the size of a football field did a drive-by, passing 17,000 miles

above earth. dr. hakin oleshegy is a scientist at the florida institute of technology and spokesperson for the science channel. nice to have you with us this morning. >> good morning. i'm happy to be here. >> first we need to clear up a few thing. initially we were calling that space rock in russia a meteorite. but it actually of an asteroid as well as the other one. >> well, you know, the naming of these rocks is kind of interesting, right? this object originated in the asteroid belt, so it is an asteroid. when it became streaking through our skies, we call it a meteor. then when it became a fireball, we called it a bolide. when the part hit the ground, fragments, we call those meteorites. >> i think i followed all that. >> yeah. >> you started off with the fact that it came from the asteroid belt. were these two, the asteroids that did the drive-by, 17,000 miles away, and this one in russia, are they related in any way? >> no. actually, quickly, people calculated the orbits of the

object that entered from over russia. and it turns out to be coming from a different direction than the asteroid that did the dri drive-by or fly-by. they're completely unrelated. >> is that why we didn't know about this? the one that did the drive-by we knew for a good year, right? >> yes, we did. the one that did the flieb is pretty large, right? it reflected sunrig dssunlight, easy to see. the one we didn't see coming is small. it came from the daylight side. so, you know, telescopes aren't operating in the sunright. so we -- it snuck up on us. >> there was no way to see it. this feels like a lot to lay people like myself, when we see this happening at once. is there a lot more out there that we should be concerned about? >> you know, seeing something like this is amazing, right? as an astrophysicist we dream of an event like this. what we actually already know is that our planet, it orbits the sun amid a swarm of debris

that's pretty much left from the formation of the solar system. all you have to do is look at the surface of the moon, and you can see that it's been hit many, many times. actually because the earth is four times bigger than the moon, it's been hit many, many more times than the moon has. at least 64 times more. >> wow. so in some ways, we're actually lucky. >> yeah. >> that we haven't seen more of that based on those chances. i know it's been a field day for you guys and you've enjoyed the video. we appreciate you breaking it down for us. doctor, thanks for your time. >> my pleasure. president obama is waking up this morning in florida where he plans to spend the holiday weekend. on friday he went back to his hometown of chicago and made a very personal appeal to crack down on violence. kristin welker is traveling with the president. she's in port st. lucie, florida. good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning to you. this vacation begins after president obama spent the week criss-crossing the nation trying to sell the key messages of his state of the union address.

but friday's speech was the longest, and it was personal. [ cheers ] >> reporter: president obama went back to his hometown of chicago and called for an end to the violence. >> last year there were 443 murders with a firearm on the streets of this city. so that's the equivalent of a newtown every four months. >> reporter: mr. obama met with a group of at-risk male teens just before taking the stage. and in an uncharacteristic moment talked about the similarities between them. >> i had issues, too, when i was their age. i just had a -- an environment that was a little more forgiving. so when i screwed up, the con common sense -- the consequences weren't as high as when kids on the south side screw up. >> reporter: the president took a broader approach of solving the issue of gun violence saying the problem is rooted in economic inequalities and broken homes. on this point he got personal,

too. >> don't get me wrong. as the son of a single mom who gave everything she had to raise me with the help of my grandparents, you know, i turned out okay. [ laughter ] >> but at the same time, i wish i'd had a father who was around and involved. >> reporter: while this isn't the first time the president has talked about being raised by a single mom, political analysts say friday's intimate appeal may be indicative of a more aggressive president obama. >> we are definitely seeing a different president second term than we saw first term. first-term president was cautious. second-term president having gone over the hump of re-election, visibly seems more comfortable being himself, being more assertive. >> reporter: friday the president wiped away a tear as he honored the six teachers and administrators who lost their lives on that tragic day in december. >> when that showed up for work at sandy hook elementary on december 14 of last year, they expected a day like any other. they had no idea that evil was about to strike.

they gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us. >> reporter: since newtown, president obama has made emotional appeals to try to harness momentum for stiffer gun-control laws. once he leaves this vacation, he will face that uphill paddle with congress, as well as a faceoff over the sequester. those deep spending cuts set to go into effect in just two weeks now. lester? >> kristin welker this morning, thank you. 19 minutes past the hour. once again, erica. >> thanks. if you've hit the atm lately, you may have noticed a few change. some cash machines are now letting you take out exact change to the dollar. say you need $24, no problem. you can get those ones. as we report, you can withdraw just about anything from machines these days. >> reporter: atms. ♪ money money money >> reporter: they haven't changed that much since the 1970s. yes, maybe you can quickly insert and remove your card instead of letting it get

swallowed hole. and sure, there's a -- swallowed whole. and sure, there's a touchscreen. but by and large, it's the same. 20s only? there's got to be a better way. hold to your hats. yes, now there is a better way. behold, the atm that lets you customize your withdrawal. we're talking ones and fives. >> being able to take a smaller amount of money out when i need it. >> reporter: chase and pnc banks are trotting out the new machines all over the country, testing them to see how popular they'll be. >> a lot of our customers want to withdraw certain amounts of money at certain times. if there's $5, $7 in their account, we want them to have the option. >> reporter: here in new york, the cash-strapped, especially students, are into it. >> i'm in college, you know, poor college kid. it's nice to have the dollar bill, actually, if you want to get a bus pass or something simple like a coffee or something. >> reporter: all this exciting newness got us wondering what else can you get out of a machine nowadays.

turns out, quite a lot. you can get nearly everything you need for a fine date dinner. caviar to start, crab as the main, wine to taste, and designer cupcakes for dessert. there's even a prescription meds machine in nevada to soothe your aches and pains. >> it's stocked with 89 commonly prescribed medications from the emergency department. so it can treat, you know, for a breathing problem, pain medications. >> reporter: in new jersey, a gold bar vending machine. >> it's like an atm machine where you can deposit cash and given the current price of gold, you could buy a gram, you could buy an ounce, you could buy gold coins. people do come in and put money into the machine. it's pretty neat. >> reporter: they may say they do, but we set up shop and didn't see many takers. then again, it's not quite as cheap as those dollar bills. for "today," katie tur, nbc

news, new york. >> i don't think we're hitting the gold bar machine any time soon. >> i like getting small change. you get a $20 for something that costs $1.80. >> you want a cup of when you're traveling and hear, don't you have anything smaller? sorry, i don't. coming up, part bible study, part trivial pursuit. we'll take you behind the scenes of the hit "the american bible challenge." first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come, beyonce getting very personal. we'll tell you what she's revealing in this new documentary about her family, motherhood, sexual those good things. plus, she's the tough love trainer from "the biggest loser." jillian michaels joins us to answer some of your questions. first, these messages.

>> good morning everyone. fren i ever franciotti. here's a look at the morning's top stories. a stabbing and robbery on friday afternoon led to lengthy police

pursuit and dramatic moments for west baltimore neighborhood. a man faces armed robbery first and second degree assault charges and other charges related to that pursuit. bennett stabbed a would be in the hand of a parking lot in the mall before taking her purse and driving off. authorities were able to catch up with bennett 14 miles away at the corn of fulton and westerfield avenue in baltimore. that victim is said to be doing just fine. police raised three men in a string of convenience store robberies. investigators say the three men all robbed nearly 2 dozen stores. the robberies took mrooifplace 6 week period. the suspects threatened employees with a stun gun and pellet gun and got away with cash. police caught up with the suspects after they robbed two stores in north baltimore last week. >> immediately recognize that yes, again, we have two robberies that fit this pattern. they followed the suspect

vehicle into baltimore county. >> and police say that pursuit ended in a parking garage at the greater baltimore medical center. each suspect is facing armed robbery and assault charges. state police are trying to figure out if two troopers crossed the line when arrest ago rapper. while being processed on drug charges. the intsta gram pape itape is g viral. he was here for a concert where he did perform after being released. we are back in a moment with [ telephone rings ] good evening, this is flo. [laughs] yes, i'm that flo. aren't you sweet! licensed phone-ups available 24/7. call 1-800-progressive.

>> quick check of radar light snow from cecil county little bit of kent county west ward across hartford baltimore county into carol county. southward it's a wintery mix or just rain down toward annapolis. all temperature dependent this morning. could be icy slick spots around. at bwi above freezing. 36 degrees light northwest wind and the barometer is falling at 29.96. we take a look at the front itself offshore the moisture is behind it. that should end but we are going to see coastal development later today. another burst of snow activity could develop or redevelop lart on. high today 36 to 41 with the mix of rain and snow. otherwise cloudy and breezy. >> thank you so much, john. thank you for joining us. back in 25 minutes with another update. see you then.

good energy out there. we are back on this saturday, february 16, 2013. it is, four, preside -- of cour president's day weekend. folks on the plaza. happy to have them here. back inside studio 1a, i'm erica hill with lester holt. coming up, you'll see a different side of bee yns yonce. >> she's always been notoriously tight-lip good her private life. in a new documentary she opens up about her family, motherhood, and personal struggles. >> looking forward to. that. the no-nonsense fitness trainer from "the biggest loser."

jillian michaels is here to share strategies for staying fit. she'll answer your questions about diet and exercise. then, a bizarre story involving the first woman ever elected as san diego's mayor, maureen o'connor. she says she gambled away more than $1 billion during a ten-year span. it's her reason for doing it that may surprise you. and his name is chris p. bacon. his game -- making people smile. that's how he rolls, literally. there he is in the green room. a pig in a wheelchair made out of toys. here with us, yes, he's an internet sensation and because he's so stinking cute, how could you not love him? >> squealing with delight, we are, too. coming up, a tv show that's become a surprise hit. you might think a game show about the bible wouldn't necessarily attract a lot of viewers, but you're wrong. rock center's harry smith went to los angeles to find out what in heaven is going on.

>> reporter: this is a painted -- soup cans. >> yeah. andy warhol. >> yes! >> reporter: since 1995, gsn, the game show network, has been a kind of guilty pleasure for those of us who enjoy watching remix and reruns of classic quiz shows. >> what do you say, rajjer? >> i said -- >> what to watch on tv. >> yeah. >> reporter: the network never had a hit on its schedule until last summer. >> who welcomed the prodigal son home -- >> reporter: it's called "the american bible challenge." for gsn it's heaven sent. >> his father? >> right. >> reporter: 13 million watched the show last season. while those aren't exactly super bowl numbers, for gsn, this is big-time stuff. >> credited with writing what chapter in proverbs? >> 31. >> correct. >> reporter: it's a kind of biblical trivial pursuit. three teams of three contestants answered questions based on scripture. >> jesus paid the temple tax with a coin found in the mouth of what?

matt? >> a fish? >> reporter: if it feels like "are you smarter than a sunday school teacher," there's jeff foxworthy who was reluctant to get involved at first. >> i said, i got to think about this. here was my first thought is i didn't want to be in line at hell going, the game show, right? the game show. >> reporter: foxworthy grew upon a baptist but now attends a nondenominational evangelical church near atlanta. he's been leading bible studies with homeless people for 15 years. >> it looks to me like you're very comfortable with the material. >> yeah. >> reporter: is your bible knowledge that broad, that deep? >> it's pretty good. no -- remember the rainy into god's promise never to do it by a flood again. i'm one of those weird guys. i mean, i'm not a big fan of organized religion. but i love god. start the clock now. >> reporter: because it really is a game show, there are

prizes. winning teams get $20,000 each episode. but there's $100,000 for the tournament champion. all prize money, however, goes to the winning team's charity of choice. [ cheers ] >> having a baby at the age of 90, memaw. just saying. nothing's out of the realm of possibility here. >> reporter: most pastors aren't as funny as foxworthy. he assured us he's not trying to compete in that arena. he knows his limitations. >> when i started hosting "fifth grader," people certainly thought i was smarter than i was, you know. and i would say, hey, if i didn't have the cards -- the shortest show on television. and now i'm doing this and people think, well, this guy has all the spiritual answers in the world. i'm like, no, i'm still the samsame idi idiot. still two decision was drywalling, you know. >> reporter: for "today," harry smith, los angeles. let's head out to the plaza and check the weather from dylan. >> good morning, lester. good morning, everyone. you're from miami?

>> miami. >> how cold was it when you left? >> it was 50. we were having a cold spurt. >> do you know what, tomorrow morning it's going to be even colder. we have hard freeze warnings posted across portions of central and northern florida. so miami will be okay from the freeze warnings. but it is still going to be, you know, some of the coldest air we've seen so far this season. so the crop danger especially across northern areas in florida across the panhandle, too, where temperatures will by tomorrow morning be down in the 20s and lower 30s. so below freezing in some spots. so the crops are -- they will suffer because of that. we also have snow in new england. we're looking at three to six inches in parts of eastern massachusetts. we could get closer to a foot up across northern maine. we are looking at perhaps one to three inches of snow in the carolinas and virginia today. the middle of the country looks quiet. cold air is working in. minneapolis today should only top out around 20 degrees. that's a >> good morning.

some precipitation in the area, a wintery mix moving offshore. a storm developing later on. we could still see snow this afternoon. high temperatures in the 30s. >> of course you can get your forecast any time on weather.com. we need a birthday forecast for you -- are you getting used to being a teenager? >> yeah. >> how old are you turning? >> 14. >> happy birthday. thanks for spending it in new york. erica? >> thanks. "biggest loser" fitness expert jillian michaels has spent more than 20 years helping people reach their target weight. she's here to talk about her book "slim for life: the secrets to lasting weight loss." >> thank you. >> i think for people it's the

lasting part that seems most elusive for many of us. >> yes. it's how you lose it that will allow you to maintain it. if you lose it with a fab diet that you can't maintain, of course you'll gain it back and then some. >> this is -- as you read through the book, we're supposed to keep a tally the whole way reading through it. it is about the changes that you keep for life. is that the thing that you think is the most different -- you have a number of best sellers out there. >> i know. the idea with this book is that it's simple, it's straightforward. it's affordable. it's accessible. it's a lot easier than a lot of the books i put out there prior because i always hear, well, you did your workout, but i didn't do your diet. why? i didn't have the money or the time. >> right. >> or vice-versa. with this, i was like, all right, this is as simple as i can make it. and this is the easiest i can make it so that you get the results and you keep it off. it also deals with dieting dilemmas like hunger, cravings, plateaus. anything you come up against that you can't normally figure out, the answers are in this book. >> how to overcome those. you have brought new challenges into your life. you're a mom now.

you have two little ones, almost 3 and ten months. there they are. has that changed at all how you approach the people that you work with and how you approach this goal in life? it changes things. >> can i be honest with you? it's a bit why i wrote the book. i was like, okay, i get. i'm not getting to the gym five hours a week either. yost time to cook all the time. and it was a big part of me going, all right -- you know, here is an easier approach because i'm now -- it's amazing but adds that layer of overwhelm. >> it does. >> you're like, i'm -- i'm outnumbered and slightly overwhelmed. it definitely has changed my approach where i'm trying to be more forgiving with myself and -- with everybody else. >> more understanding. it is -- there are never enough hours in the day with little ones. >> no. >> we have viewer questions. >> okay. >> our first from cysty in florida, a stay-at-home mom with two little girls. she says she gets plenty of exercise when chasing the girls. when she gets sick, routine gets derailed -- we with young children know what that's like

-- she feels like she's -- should she exercise through the illness? >> absolutely not. when the body is sick, it needs all the energy it can muster to fight off infection. some people might say if you don't have a respiratory infection, a light workout is okay. i'm here to say rest your body. you don't need to fit a workout in with the flu. that's ridiculous. you'll be down for a week at most. heal, eat well, and you'll be back up in no time. >> this is from lynette in san jose, also a mom. she's a mom of two teens. her husband is now currently unemployed so she's been going to a gym, had to stop because of financial circumstances. >> right. >> they've seen some of their old habits and weight creep up. she would love tips on -- help for thing that don't involve a gym membership or things that are expensive. >> here's my best advice. get yourself a used dvd for $5. you can do it at your house, over and over and over again. it's the gift that keeps on giving. you buy it once -- get a few if you can afford it, $15, a few

used dvds, work out in your own home. if you can, get outside. go walking, jogging, biking, stairs at a high school stadium. >> or in your house. >> yes. exactly. do your stairs. lunges, pushups, situps, things you can do with your own body weight. when times are tough, we tend to nurture ourselves with food because it's comforting. find something else you can engage in that makes you feel better without being destructive. something that's more life affirming. a bubble bath, mani/pedi. >> one last one, we have to ask about "the bigger loser." you seem softer this season. is that the kids -- >> no! when i started, everybody was like, she's mean -- now everyone's like, god, you're kind of -- i don't know. they've cut the corners off you. it just depends on where the contestants are at. if they're falling apart, i'm intent and crazy and over the top. to drive them more. when they're getting it together and they're on board, then i'm

-- you know, we're synp at thas. monday's episode is bad. i lose my mind. it is justified. rob and i go at it a bit. we have a different opinion -- >> there's something -- >> bob and i have a fight. >> thanks for coming to the studio. good luck with everything, especially the munchkins. >> thank you. >> the book is "slim for life." up next, it's been quite a month for beyonce. now with a new documentary she shows fans a side of her we haven't seen before. we can't get enough of this adorable pig in a wheelchair. lucky for all of us, chris p. bacon will be in the studio. [ female announcer ] born from the naturally sweet monk fruit, something this delicious could only come from nature. now from the maker of splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse. the only 100% natural, no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit.

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if you're a fan, you think you know ever being beyonce, think again. the 17-time grammy burn is revealing more about her personal life and professional struggles in a new documentary. we get more. ♪ >> reporter: mrs. carter might not be answering all of her fans' questions, but she's giving the most candid look at her personal life yet in her hbo documentary "beyonce: life is about a dre but a dream." >> i battle with how much do i reveal about myself. how do i stay current but how do i stay soulful.

♪ >> reporter: it comes on the heels of a month where the superstar hit high notes, along with a few low ones, too. ♪ >> reporter: first the inauguration lip-syncing controversy, then a "g.q." cover story revealed she has an entire room dedicated to her highness. >> if we've learned anything about beyonce this past month, it's that she is at diva status. she's finally arrived at that iconic platform, and nothing's going to stop her. ♪ all the single ladies >> reporter: it was that super bowl performance that reminded the world just what a mega talent beyonce is. the notoriously private star holds little back. >> i'm a human being, i cry. i get scared, i get nervous just like everyone else. >> reporter: an intimate look into her life. >> this movie taught me so much about myself. it's been like therapy for me. >> keep in mind, this is a documentary produced, directed, and narrated by beyonce. we're only going to know what beyonce wants us to know. ♪

>> reporter: the bio pic takes on surrogacy rumors that surrounded her pregnancy, gives an intimate look into her marriage with hip-hop mogul jay-z and lets viewers in with moments with her daughter who was the inspiration behind the film's name. >> her favorite song is "row, row, row your boat." one of the reasons the movie is "life is but a dream." >> reporter: reminding us that even from the top, multi-platinum-selling royalty can show moments of humility. reporting for "today." up next, the pig on wheels who's getting a lot of bumpz chris p. bacon is live in our studio. ♪ i -- i got it, i got it made ♪ i got it made, i got it made ♪ i got it made ♪ fresh at subway ♪ breakfast made the way i say ♪ i got it made ♪ i got it made, i got it made, i got it made ♪ ♪ fresh at subway ♪ breakfast made the way i say [ male announcer ] get breakfast made the way you say.

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[ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? i usually say that. oh, buddy, it's okay. that's chris p. bacon. a pig -- he's a little over a month old and would like to go back in his crate right now. so his dad built in a wheelchair because he doesn't have use of his hind legs. posted the video on youtube as one does nowa days. wouldn't you know it, we're now at nearly 700,000 views, and the rest is internet history. chris p. bacon is here whether he wants to be or not along with the veterinarian who built him that lovely apparatus there. >> you can watch him roll. >> you could. >> len, what gave you the idea?

you used a toy, connect -- >> connect four -- >> to build his apparatus. what led you to that? >> i was dealing with a one-pound pig. his to be creative. my employer actually had a handicapped dog, and he told me lots of stories about it. i thought, well, i can do something similar, you know. and remembering that -- i used to play with these all the time. >> you have leftovers from your kid. >> yeah, i never knew them out. >> you don't see a lot of pigs in your office in florida. >> we don't see any, right. >> this was a surprise. when you see you have something here, what made you decide to put it on line? >> he was quiet. >> not anymore. >> you know, it was worth taping when they're quiet. no, he was -- he did really good. >> is he friendly? >> he loves people. >> i have to ask you, he's not in distress is he now? is he -- >> he's a little stressed. you know, it's not bad. if he was really stressed you'd know. we wouldn't be able to hear each

other. >> does he have an agent? does he want to do more show business? >> he's not fired up. >> i'm available. >> it's not that bad. >> yeah. [ squealing loudly ] >> now he's getting stressed. >> yeah, we'll let him take a little rest then. >> okay. >> len, thanks for coming on, thanks for bringing chris p. bacon. good luck with him. >> thank you very much. >> we'll take a break. this is "today" on nbc.

still to come, fall from grace. san diego's former mayor has gambled away a million dollars in the last decade. [ male announcer ] if you can clear a crowd but not your nasal congestion,

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simply add jif chocolate flavored hazelnut spread. whatever you put it on... reaches a whole new level of deliciousness. choosy moms choose jif. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of new bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to new bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper. >> good morning everyone. i am lisa robinson. it is 7:55. here's a look at the mourn's top stories. federal investigators are calling the ladies and

gentlemened prostitution ring a conspiracy. they went to a warehouse and uncovered an under ground prostitution ring back in july allegedly run by 30-year-old jamar simmons. it went far beyond the warehouse. federal investigators say simmons and another man transported women to at least 7 other states. some of the women not even 18 years of age. simmons has been indicted by a federal grand jury. he remains suspended from the department without pay. 16 people are interested in finishing the determine of former executive john leopold. he resigned in disgrace after being found guilty of misconduct. the acting county executive john hammond seeked to fill the vacancy after initially saying no to the job. he explained his change of heart. >> difficult decision in many ways. i have come to the conclusion that i can bring the leadership we deserve and it's time to move

the county forward. >> the 16 applicants also include former executive john gary and former maryland fist lady kendall erlig. they will publicly interview each of the candidates next thursday and then select one of them the same day. >> a baltimore woman received a major pat on the back from president obama on friday. janice jackson received the 2012 presidential citizen's medal. she was singled out for a founding of a baltimore based nonprofit that empowers women with disabilities. it's called women embracing disabilities now or wean. they over came personal adversi adversity. at 24 she was hit by a car and paralyzed. if she was lucky she would move her shoulders. her goal is to have sister chapters of wean at every hospital and rehab facility in the country. we are back in a moment with a

>> this morning we had a wintery mix of precipitation around the area. cold front moving offshore. an offshore storm is going to develop later today and tonight. we are not quite done with all of this yet that mix of rain and snow will taper off this morning but we could see more snow shower activity this afternoon. otherwise cloudy and breezy today. northwest winds at 10-20 with high temperature of 36 to 41 degrees. snow showers tomorrow. windy and cold only around 32 for the high. >> thanks john. thank you for joining us. we are back in 25 minutes with another update.

welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 16th day of february, 2013. cold weather not keeping the crowd away. we'll go out and say hi on the plaza later on. thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. i'm lester holt along with erica hill. coming up, carnival cruise lines beginning to face the heat following that disastrous trip aboard the question triumph." a passenger has filed a lawsuit again the company citing the miserable conditions on board. we're going to get a live report in just a moment. >> didn't take long for the first lawsuit, did it? there's new information about the last few hours of the manhunt to track down former lapd officer-turned-killer

christopher dorner and how close he was to authorities as they were trying to track him down. also, a shocking story out of san diego. the city's former mayor admits to spending the last decade betting more than $1 billion at casinos across the country and taking more than millions of dollars from a charity. how could all that happen? hear the unusual reasons she says caused her behavior. plus, oscar pistorius is behind bars this morning charged with the murder of his girlfriend. his family, though, says the disgraced former olympian will fight the charges. we're live in south africa this morning with the very latest. and do you happen to have a tiffany engagement ring? if it wasn't purchased at tiffany, it may not be authentic. how the famous jewelry store is cracking down on counterfeits. we begin with the latest on the carnival cruise debacle. mark potter is in mobile, alabama, where the ship is docked. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lester. that first lawsuit was filed in miami federal court. it seems likely that more will

follow. the official investigation has also begun. the lawsuit appeared the day after the carnival "triumph" was towed into mobile, alabama. with the ship in port now, new pictures have emerged of it crippled by an engine fire that left the "triumph" without power and working bathrooms and passengers sleeping in makeshift tents on deck. the lawsuit plaintiff, a passager from texas, accuses carnival cruise lines of "breach of maritime contract, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud." she also claims she was "injured as a result of the unseaworthy, unsafe, unsanitary, and generally despicable conditions." >> this was because there was some failure. we don't know what that failure was at this point in time. we know there was a failure and a human cause for it. >> reporter: meantime, the triumph has been moved to a mobile shipyard, facing months of cleanup and repairs as the official incident investigation also begins. because the ship is registered

in the bahamas and the fire occurred in international waters, the bahamian maritime authority is the lead investigator. experts from the u.s. coast guard and the national transportation safety board are also heavily involved. while the ship was being towed back to shore, the coast guard was on board, interviewing many of the passengers. they also debrief the command staff and crew. officials say among questions to be answered are -- what caused the fire, how did the crew react in fighting the fire, were proper procedures followed, were there safety drills. some passengers complain about how they were treated when the fire broke out. >> mistake after mistake after mistake. incompetence to the point of -- that i've never seen. >> reporter: many passage hers high praise for the crew members. >> i got to tell you, the crew was absolutely fabulous and fantastic. >> they did a good job. the crew members did. did exceptionally well taking care of us. it was really the guests first. >> reporter: authorities say the ultimate goal of the

investigation is to make sure an incident like this never happens again. now as for that first lawsuit, a carnival spokesperson says the company has not yet seen it and, therefore, cannot yet comment. lester? >> mark potter this morning in mobile, thanks. let's get a check of the other top stories. jenna wolfe has the morning off. tom llamas is in for her. good morning. >> good morning, erica and lester. good morning, everyone. we're learning much more about the last few hours of the manhunt to track down former lapd officer christopher dorner. authorities now say dorner spent most of his time hiding from them just steps away from the command center they set up to find him. san bernardino county authorities confirm dorner died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. the sheriff also said deputies knocked on the door to the cabin he was in earlier in the week. but when they didn't get an answer, they moved on. inside the cabin where he died, the sheriff says they found a cache of dangerous weapons. president obama is spending the weekend on vacation. but before he left for florida, he honored some of the victims

of the school shooting in connecticut last year. during an emotional white house ceremony, the president wiped away a tear as he reflected on the heroic acts of the six teachers and administrators on that december day. family members received the 2012 presidential citizens medal on their behalf. former congressman jesse jackson jr. is facing federal criminal charges. prosecutors say he misused $750,000 in campaign funds. paperwork filed yesterday claims jackson spent the money on lavish goods like fur coats, capes, and michael jackson memorabilia. the former congressman released a statement saying, "i fully accept responsibility for the improper decisions and mistakes i have made." his wife sandy is also charged with one count of filing a false tax return. facebook is claiming to be the latest victim of hackers. the social media company told its users its systems had been targeted in a sophisticated attack. users, though, are not affected. if you've ever left your loose change behind after going through airport security, you

are not alone. get this -- the tsa says it's collected more than half a million dollars last year in spare change. a spokesman says the money is used on general security operations. and is the 27th time the charm? scientists are trying to outfit this seaturity nell japan with -- sea turtle in japan with prosthetic fins to get her swimming again. it was injured after a shark attack. this is the 27th set of fins they made for her, and they fell off as soon as she got in the water. the good news is, she talked to scientists and said, guys, i'm a turtle. i'm not in a rush, okay? we have time. it's all right. >> love it. good stuff. thanks. >> all right. dylan dreyer on the plaza. she's got another check of the forecast. dylan? >> hey, good morning. we have a whole slew of birthdays. this man here, 90 years old. >> 90 years old. >> how have the past 90 years been for you? >> great. super. >> you look fantastic. thanks for being here. >> thank you. >> we are going to see light

snowfall in new york city today. the storm is really far out it sea. we'll see some light snow across portions of the carolinas, up into virginia. it's really new england that will see about three to six inches of snow as we go into today and tomorrow. blizzard warnings are possible up across maine. we have winter weather advisories through the carolinas, through eastern massachusetts and rhode island. and there you see the blizzard watch for now in maine for later on tonight. that one to three inches in virginia, in north carolina, three to six across eastern massachusetts into rhode island, as well. up to a foot of snow is possible in eastport >> a wintery mix this morning fog and ice in the area. coastal storm developing this afternoon. the snow chance will continue for snow showers today. 39 for the high on sunday. closer to freezing windy and cold

>> and a huge turnout here in new york. [ cheers ] >> where are you from? >> ohio! >> who's from ohio? [ wild cheering ] >> erica? >> very nice. dylan, thanks. close encounters. meteors, asteroids, criss-crossing the sky in what appears to be shear coincidence. we've seen three space things in a 24-hour span. tom llamas with more. nice to see you. it's been a long time. >> yes. overnight, a meteor was spotted over the skies of northern california hours after an asteroid passed close to the earth and a meteor crashed into russia. an out-of-this-world coincidence. in the space of only 16 hours, two unrelated threats from outer space. a near miss from an asteroid and a direct hit by a meteor.

incredible video shows a meteor streaking across the sky in south central russia at 33,000 miles per hour friday, trailing a beautiful white contrail hitting the atmosphere and exploding with the force of an atomic bomb. [ crashing ] [ siren ] >> reporter: the shockwave over the town damaged thousands of buildings and blew out windows across the city in freezing temperatures. the chards of glass injuring more than 1,000 people, 100 hospitalized. >> i heard this extremely loud noise that shook my apartment. >> reporter: canadian hockey player michael garnett lives in the city. >> it blew the vents out of my bathroom. there was debris on the floor. and i'm up on the 23rd floor, and i could feel the building swaying. >> reporter: then just hours later, another close call as an asteroid half the size of a football field came whizzing by. to put this in perspective, the

space station orbits 220 miles above the earth. the asteroid passed 17,000 miles above our planet. closer than many satellites, some orbiting at 22,000 miles out. scientists shudder at what would have happened if an object that size hit the earth. >> regionally catastrophic. no doubt about it. you saw what happened with that asteroid over in russia. and that one is the size of just a large boulder. this one was much larger. it would -- hit with much more energy. basically a shockwave that can level buildings. you don't want that to happen over a city. >> a lot of reporting on this story including ours draws a comparison to an atomic bomb when talking about the shockwave over russia. thankfully most of that energy dissipated many miles above the surface, minimizing the damage here on earth. when i first started reading reports, i was thinking atomic bomb, you would think everyone would be dead. luckily the force was so high above us, it helped -- >> a lot to learn --

>> scary. >> we had so much video of the one in russia because people commonly have dash-mounted cameras in their cars because of fraud. >> amazing. and so many people, especially the astrophysicists, folks at nasa excited because they can actually see it. >> so are hollywood screenwriters. >> yes, they are. >> all right. want to turn to san diego and a stunning fall from grace for that city's former mayor. over a ten-year period, maureen o'connor stole millions of dollars and ran up more than a billion, a billion with a "b," dollars in gambling losses. the reason for her behavior might surprise you. here's more. >> reporter: maureen o'connor is 66 now. her health frail, her fortune gone, her humiliation deep. >> i never meant to hurt people -- >> reporter: what the former san diego mayor admits she did was to steal millions from the charitable foundation of her late husband, robert peterson, the founder of the jack in the box restaurant chain, to help fuel a gambling obsession of

mammoth proportions. >> her winnings were over $1 billion. unfortunately for her, her losses exceeded even that. >> reporter: o'connor cut a deal to avoid jail time for wire fraud, pay back the charity, and fully admit her wrongdoing. she said a brain tumor that was removed two years ago, long after she gambled her way to few if any assets, was the reason for the addiction in the first place. >> there's two more reasons -- maureen number one and maureen number two. maureen number two, the woman that did not know she has a tumor growing in her head. >> reporter: maybe, said one expert. >> anything that damages brain tissue is going to affect judgment. >> reporter: while the numbers are mind-boggling, how much she stole, how much she gambled, how much she won and how much she lost, the purely sad part of the story is the contrast with the woman maureen o'connor was. not just san diego's first female mayor but from 1986 to

1992 truly a people's mayor. a vibrant reformer who'd grown up poor, the daughter of a bookie, then raised a struggling city's best hopes. >> i'd like to be remembered as bringing back a little ethics to the mayor's office and to the city. >> reporter: from those heady days to this. here was the claim at the end of her glory days. >> my style is different, the old frank sinatra song, "i did it my way." >> reporter: admirable now. but stripped away now to reveal a secret life of illness and criminality and human failing. for "today"," los angeles. here's erica. >> lester, thanks. disgraced olympian oscar pistorius is in police custody this morning preparing to fight charges he murdered his model and reality star girlfriend. we have more from pretoria, south africa. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi, erica. oscar pistorius is being held here where police say he's doing okay and has been reading.

he just got a visit from his legal team. he will likely be here until at least a tuesday bond hearing. and that should be interesting. each side will argue why he should and should not be set free. that will likely shed much more light on what exactly investigators think happened inside that house. oscar pistorius is being watched carefully in a police holding cell instead of a prison where most people in such a case would be held. charged with murder. he has denied killing his girlfriend of eight months, model and up-and-coming reality star reeva steenkamp. in a statement through his agent disputing the alleged murder in the strongest terms. police have told of domestic incidents at his home, shouting heard earlier that night. steenkamp was shot four times. some feel pistorius will likely be freed on bond. >> he's a well-known celebrity. he's not a flight risk. i can't see serious reasons why he should be -- bail shouldn't

be granted. >> reporter: what about prosecutors calling this premeditated murder? if it were some kind of accident, the charge of anything could ultimately be something like negligent homicide or manslaughter. but the legal word here is that this case might be very difficult to prove accidental or self-defense. >> you must come up with certain evidence to suggest that you do everything in your power before you actually shoot to kill somebody. in other words -- >> like calling the police. >> calling the police. shouting for assistance. shouting for the neighbors. pushing the panic button. >> reporter: those who know pistorius can't believe all that's happened. in his autobiography, he did mention his sometimes difficult relationships. at one point trying to drive 400 miles in the middle of the night to see a girlfriend after an argument on the phone but not making it because he crashed his car. >> i didn't personally see malice ever in oscar's personality. what i feared more than anything was that he would hurt himself because he drove insanely fast.

i mean, 140, 150 miles per hour. he had already had a speedboat accident in which he suffered major injuries that set his career back for a year or so. so to me, oscar was a danger to himself. >> reporter: that tuesday bond hearing will be the same day as reeva steenkamp's funeral. tonight we'll air the first episode of that reality show that she stars in. the producer said this will be a tribute to her, and they felt it was an injustice to not share with the world her beauty and intelligence. erica? >> michelle kaczynski live for us this morning. thanks. still to come, how to avoid unexpected fees the next time you stay at a hotel. and what is the secret to staying warm during the bitter winter months? we figured dylan could find out for us. she went to do just that. first, these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu just keeps getting better.

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while managing their schedule with my producing partner. i set up kid's corner so they can learn and play games without deleting my stuff. "working mom" is sometimes a tough role to play, but it's definitely the one i was born for. [ clattering, children laughing ] and...action. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] now buy one nokia lumia 920 for just $99.99 and get a second one free at at&t. lester was in l.a. chatsing it up with jay leno on the "tonight show." he talk -- during the "today" show. he talked about the blizzard. >> you covered hurricane isaac. let's take a look. >> frankly, we have not seen any serious damage in our limited movement around here. trees down, as you might expect. lots of power out. several hundred thousand -- >> you were outside. tell me about that. why do you feel the need to go out -- do people need to see you

-- >> you can't exactly do it from your hotel room. it's the weather, you've got to get out in it. you're telling people that there are 70 mile-per-hour winds. so it's like, let's prove it. >> see, i had a little problem with it. here, show what happened -- >> winds -- >> can you pull out a little bit? you see, i that's what -- i hate when that happens. >> that was isaac. he did have fun with you making snow angels last weekend. >> yes. >> you saw in central park. anne hathaway was on which was rough for you. >> what a lovely woman. i mean -- nice picture they took of us. >> yeah. >> of course, you know, she's -- got all the oscar buzz. she's got so much going on. new wife and just -- i really enjoyed getting to know her. >> things are good. i don't know if we have time to show, but he brought up the clip of you and susan boyle since you both sang "i dreamed a dream." >> we had something in common. we both nailed the song. ♪ >> your lip-synching skills are

something to behold. ♪ >> yeah. >> it was great seeing you on. >> no oscar buzz for me. >> a great guest. >> jay is great. he comes out before the show in the green room. you chat for a long time. he makes you feel very comfortable. >> good. >> great opportunity. >> i stayed up late for it. >> i'm glad you did, too. you got your shout out. >> i loved my shout out! ahead, we're cooking up comfort food. we're doing a little clay pot baked chicken. this one inspired by a friend of mine.

still to come, is your tiffany diamond engagement ring really a tiffany diamond engagement ring? >> depends on where you bought it. we'll explain. first, these messages. how do we take an unpolished room and make it shine?

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awright thorities were able to catch up with bennett at the corner in west baltimore. the victim is said to be doing okay. police raised three men in a string of convenience store robberies. investigators say omar hans, fairly blackwell and willie vincent robbed nearly 2 dozen stores. the robberies took place over a 6 week period beginning on december 23rdrd. according to police the suspects threatened employees with a stun gun and a pellet gun and got away with cash. police caught up with the suspects after they robbed two stores in north baltimore last week. >> immediately recognized that,

yes, again we have two robberies that fit this pattern. they followed the suspect vehicle into baltimore county. >> police say the pursuit ended in a parking gar raj of the greater baltimore medical center. each suspect is facing armed robbery and assault charges. state police are trying to determine if two troopers crossed the line when arresting the rapper two chains. while being processed on drug charges the arresting officers asked to take a picture. the insta gram pick is going viral is featured from tmz to mtv. two chains was in the area for a concert where he performed after being released. we are back in a moment with

>> so far this morning a winter combliks of precipitation with icing conditions on some of the roads north and northwest of town. plus fog in the area. all because of this front which is has now moved offshore. the precipitation is behind it. we are going to see a storm develop offshore today. this will taper off more and is expected to be thrown to the west from that storm developing offshore later today. it will be windy as well. winds northwest at 10-20 with stronger gusts generally cloudy skies with a mix of rain and snow this morning and snow showers or flurries this after noovenlt high temperatures 36 to 41. it is expected the eastern shore in the southern portion of the eastern shore may get measurable snow out of this this afternoon. through presidents' day it looks cold. we have flurries tomorrow and a good day monday.

>> thanks john. thank you for joining us. 11 news saturday morning starts in 25 minutes. [ cheers ] we are back on this saturday morning, february 16, 2013. today we have a great crowd out here, to say that i think would be an understatement. they are loud and proud. we've got birthdays. we've got people from ohio, we've got -- you should see it. it's a party with a little bit of snow. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt. tom in for jenna and dylan dreyer. we are talking tiffany versus costco. >> the blue box jeweler is suing the giant, costco, over rings it says it apparently believes are counterfeit. we'll find out more coming up.

also ahead this morning, we are looking at your vacation. if you're in the mood to plan a vacation these days, you f you want to escape the snow and get somewhere warm, you may have noticed that there tend to be a lot of charges on your bill when you check out of a hotel these days. we'll look at those for you. we'll find out what is the secret to staying warm. dressing like that is probably not it. i have tips from the experts on what you can do to keep from freezing on frigid days like this. >> i've got one of those -- >> yeah. got it here. >> we get spoiled with those here. >> for the record, i'm still cold. >> still cold. also, you could cook maybe some comfort food for your cold weather which could help today. we are making chicken, sort of a roast chicken but done in a clay pot roaster inspired by my good friend randi who turned me on to excellent things including roaster for making chicken two ways. we have friends here. >> yes.

our friends -- [ wild cheers ] >> the boy scouts here. where are you from? >> new york. >> i was a girl scout. is that as cool or is being a cub scout cooler? >> cooler! >> yeah, i figured that. we sell cookies, justice s sayi. we will see snowflakes fall in new york city. we have a minor storm that is staying off the east coast. and it is enough to bring some light snow to portions of virginia and north carolina. one to three inches of snow possible there. but it is going to be a little bit of a bigger storm for new england, especially northern new england as we go into later today and tonight. blizzard watches are posted across northeastern maine where we could end up with a foot of snow. massachusetts, the boston area will most likely pick up about three to six inches. cold air is surging into areas in minneapolis. and it is going to stay frigid across the great lakes as we go into sunday, as well. the northeast is going to cool off, too. it has been nice the past few days. it is going to be back down in the 20s and 30s tomorrow.

that's a look at the w >> a wintery mix this morning fog and ice in the area. coastal storm developing this afternoon. the snow chance will continue for snow showers today. 39 for the high on sunday. closer to freezing windy and cold that is your latest forecast. erica? >> all right. thanks. it is luxury versus discount as tiffany&company sues warehouse giant costco. it says its image is being turn aed and accuse -- tarnished and accuses costco of selling counterfeit diamonds with tiffany labels. michelle franzen with the story. ♪ a kiss on the hand >> reporter: marilyn monroe

crooned over diamonds. ♪ diamonds are a girl's best friend ♪ ♪ >> reporter: audrey hepburn swooned over them in "breakfast at tiffany's." now those symbolic rocks of love are getting some unwanted attention. luxury retailer tiffa tiffantiffany andco. is suing costco for selling what it calls discounts rings but bearing the tiffany name. >> it's not a tiffany diamond engagement ring. that's what's counterfeit. >> reporter: the complaint includes photo exhibits from a costco in huntington beach, california. in one picture, the label describes the ring as a platinum tiffany one-carat round brilliant diamond solitaire. >> they basically used tiffany's good name to sell something that wasn't a tiffany product. >> reporter: the site request by nbc news, costco has not commented on the lawsuit. for many along with the bling,

it's the brand that sells. ♪ you should have put a ring on it ♪ >> you kind of want to buy it at tiffany's and not costco. >> reporter: why is that? >> you want the service, right? >> he got -- that might work well. >> reporter: diamonds may be a good friend's best friend, but it was audrey hepburn in "breakfast at tiffany's" that helped make the brand into a household name. >> that movie is iconic. it's this new york girl who's so chic and elegant. when girls get married, they want to replicate that feeling. >> reporter: then there's that blue box and bag. >> the beltway's presented gives off that special feeling, you know what i mean? like you're getting it from tiffany. >> reporter: famous blue wrapping and tiffany's signature, attorneys say, that was not included with the discounted rings. >> there you go. >> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. up next, get ready to pay more on your next vacation. some hotels tax on extra fees for things you might not expect.

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this morning in "today's consumer," hotel fees. as the winter weather lingers on, you may be thinking of a getaway to a sunny vacation. while you're making travel plans, don't skip the fine print. some hotels are adding charges that you're probably not expecting. diana alvear with more. >> reporter: if the winter blues have you dreaming of a sunny getaway, online deals may be very tempting. buyer beware. >> the price is never the price. there's always added fees on top of it. >> they tell you it's $159 a night and tax on $25 worth of roar fees. we stayed -- resort fees. we stayed four nights, that's an extra $100 that you weren't expecting. >> reporter: fees for all sorts of things. some you may not expect. so we decided to visit sin city to make sure what happens in vegas doesn't stay in vegas. first stop, caesar's palace to get advice from travel expert john discala.

what can we be charged here? >> everything. >> reporter: especially the mini bar. >> they're like the darth vader of mini bars because there's centers in here -- nightmare you pick up any of this stuff, you'll be charged. >> reporter: before you touch, read. >> fine print. very fine print. >> reporter: oh, movement of items may cause unintentional charges. >> reporter: how about the coffee in your room? >> do you enjoy your morning coffee? >> sure. >> this will cost you $12. >> reporter: $12? room service has long been an added fee no matter what you order. a single glass of soy milk costs $10. $4 for the milk and $6 for the service charge. what about wi-fi? >> they charge you. >> reporter: how much? >> $15. >> reporter: really? >> per device. >> reporter: the next night we visited the wind where you'll pay a resort fee. i don't. >> i don't know what it covers to actual the truth. yao even know, do you? >> reporter: it depends on the hotel. at the wind, it covers internet access in your room, unlimited

local and domestic long distance calls, and access to the fit not facility. it's not just vegas. in the big apple, expect big charges for room service at the new york palace hotel. they charge $7 per person which they say is clearly stated on their menu. if you're visiting orlando, the hyatt regency grand cypress charges $13 for guests to park their own cars on the premises. but there's no self-parking at the hotel irwin in venice beach. with $33-a-day valet parking. if you're wondering where all these fees come from, some travel experts tell us they believe hotels are taking a page from the airline industry. >> last year hotels made almost $2 billion in extra fees. while the airlines made almost $20 billion. so the hotels are starting to get smart and follow the airlines' leads. >> reporter: so get the facts on fees before you leave home. >> you can look at the message

boards like tripadviser or -- i would go on google and type on what hotel you're going to and hotel fees. >> reporter: make sure you pay your deposit with a credit card, not a debit card. >> reporter: >> there's a fair credit billing act. you can get your money back if for some reason something goes wrong. if you pay by debit card, you'll never get your money back. kiss it good-bye. >> reporter: if you notice fees that you don't think are fair, make sure you dispute them before you check out. >> try and fight it. the worst they can do is say no. >> reporter: because financial peace of mind may be the true ticket to paradise. for "today," diana alvear, nbc news, los angeles. we reached out to all the hotels mentioned. the ones that responded say their charges are clearly disclosed in the room and often on their web site. hyatt says their parking fees are competitive and can save money for theme park guests. up next, dylan shows the best ways to keep warm in cold weather. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we know it's winter. we know it's going to be cold and we can't change it. that doesn't mean we can't try to feed it. who better to give us tips on dealing with the winter weather than dylan dreyer. you took one for the team here. >> i did. i braved the cold. you know, winter weather can certainly make you miserable. you've got the freezing fingers, the numb toes, wind whipping your face. but i did take one for the team. tried to get some tips on how to stay warm for the rest of this winter. ♪ you're as cold as ice >> reporter: icy. snowy. bitterly cold. winter can feel like a battle. body armor required. >> i always layer up, but no matter what my fingers, my toes are just frozen solid. why is that? >> the reason is when our body is cold there's a natural

preservation mechanism that kicks in. the body will take the blood that's in the fingers and toes and reroutes the blood supply, if you will, to what's called the core. ♪ it's cold outside >> reporter: if your job won't let you take a snow day, keeping those hands and feet warm can be hard work. >> the key to staying warm on a day like this is staying dry. my boots are extremely efficient in keeping out the water. my secret here is my hand warmers. >> reporter: even though being out in the asked this much fun, you don't want freezing temperatures to slow you down. >> i have pajamas, these pants -- >> lots and lots of layers. >> underarmor shirt. and a jacket. >> reporter: bill toy has fought the freezing cold at camelback ski resort for more than 40 years. what is the cold evidence you remember? >> oh, making snow at about ten below zero one night. >> reporter: how do you do it?

>> you keep moving. keep moving. proper clothing, boots. when it gets that cold, mittens help more than gloves. >> reporter: i know i'm a wimp when it comes to the cold. but in the five minutes it took us on the ski tloift get from the base of the mountain -- lift to get from the base of the mountain to up here, i am absolutely freezing. i can't feel my hands, forget about my feet. what really works? what is the secret to staying warm? >> you really have to look into what is winter resistant, water repellant, moisture controlling. >> reporter: vivian seymore is director of the fashionable technology lab at parsons designer center. she's an expert. >> it is goretex. >> reporter: water repellant that will hopefully make you warmer and drier. this looks like a regular scarf. what is it about it? >> yes, what they've been doing with the heattech is manipulated the fiber itself. they both keep you really warm whether that's the base layer or the scarf itself.

northface is coming out with a new product in the fall of 2013 that's called thermal -- primolost. it keeps you warm and keeps the water and wind out. >> reporter: we're realizing is the key. >> exactly. yes. ♪ i.c.e. baby >> reporter: from high tech to home realm bees, things help but does hot chocolate help? >> i think overall for the long term it's not going to make you stay warmer. certainly drinking hot chocolate will give you the sense of feeling warmer. after all, whose day couldn't go a little better without a little chocolate in it? >> reporter: the biggest lesson learned here today is to layer up and just keep moving. ♪ eice ice baby ♪ >> and another lesson the secret on the a, been out here for three minutes, we have all these hand warmers. >> we do. >> this helps. >> they put them inside our gloves. and on the back of our jackets. and they -- they ordered snow

for the segment. it was perfect. >> i thought it was appropriate. >> it looks really, really good. great stuff, dylan. thanks. we'll be right back. [ lorenzo ] i'm lorenzo. i work for 47 different companies. well, technically i work for one. that company, the united states postal service® works for thousands of home businesses. because at usps.com® you can pay, print and have your packages picked up for free. i can even drop off free boxes. i wear a lot of hats. well, technically i wear one. the u.s. postal service®, no business too small.

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there is quickly becoming my favorite part of the show. the last few weekends erica has shown us how to make some of her favorite comfort foods. we've enjoyed her mac and

cheese, beef burgundy, mm, and the -- >> thanks. >> today it's baked chicken. first things first. you've got clay pots here y. are these -- what's the deal with these? >> yes. my very good friend randi, love you, introduced me to this when i was registering for my wedd g wedding. she said you have to get a clay pot. they're fairly inexpensive, they're about $40. you soak it in water for 20 minutes and put it in a cold oven. turns out the most moist, delicious food ever, from chick tonight beef to fish, it taps low fat. it cooks -- it's low fat. it cooks in its own jewss. they go into a -- juices. they go into a cold oven. you crank it up high. these are quick, great things to do a weeknight. are you making randi's chicken with leeks and apples. she uses a chicken. you stuff onions, garlic, a lemon in the cavity there. and when randi and i notice when we cook with roasters, you end up oozing a lot more salt than you think you need, but it gives

it great, great flavor. after you stuff that in -- >> the whole one? >> however you want to do. it you want to liberally then salt and pepper the chicken. >> okay. >> so one of the best ways to do that, you take, you know, like a handful like this, salt it, randi says put it in under the skin. once you get that set, put it in the roaster. she takes a couple of leeks, puts in the leeks and two apples. she prefers braeburn apples and herbs. we'll throw in a little rows marie. put the chicken -- rosemary. put the chicken on top. put a little olive oil all over it. then you put the top on, put it in oven, 500 degrees, cold oven, for an hour, and you're done. >> it will be tendy. >> it's tender and moist. dish number two -- i tend to make this at home. leeks, onions, carrots, potatoes. put them in the pot. take the olive oil, drizzle it on there. you can be liberal. probably a tablespoon, maybe a little more. then we would kind of jooj them.

>> joojing. >> i think that's technically a hair term. then you salt and pepper a little here. and then throw in fresh sprigs. while we're salting and doing the vegetables, tom, you start salting and peppering again liberally here the chicken. i started making some of mine with boneless, skinless size and breasts. >> that adds flavor. >> well, actually the bone and the skin give you more flavor. this is just kind of what i had in the fridge and started doing that way. throw in rosemary, i love fresh thyme. be liberal with the herbs. i feel like you can't have enough. the chicken, you can slide it on from the plate if you want. you don't have to touch it. >> this as easy as a crock pot? >> i'm sorry -- i'm -- >> this is easy like a crock pot. >> it is easy like a crock pot, yeah. it doesn't want to slide. if it did slide -- >> mine's covered -- >> dylan has chicken hands. after that, we throw a few more herbs on top of this one. be liberal. a little olive oil. you could throw in a little salt

and pepper. cover on, in the oven, 500 degrees. this cooks for 40 minutes. if you want, you could add -- i would say not more than a half a cup of liquid, but white wine, red wine, chicken stock. this is what comes out of the oven. you want to let the pot sit a little bit so it finishes doing its thing inside. and we have chicken with roasted vegetables. >> wow. >> and chicken with leeks and apples. you need to try them -- the whole meal is in there. >> is it hard to wash? >> no. you're not supposed to use soap. warm water and a brush. >> nice. >> and it's great. you have to be careful ton break it when you're not using it. >> this is fun. this is my favorite part of the saturdays. we always do -- >> i'm glad. >> you can find more aut the baked chicken on today.com. >> we'll have a sample right now. >> meantime, that does it for us on a saturday morning. thanks for watching. i'm see you back here for "nbc nightly news." have a great day. we're digging in. >> bon appetite.